Lodge safari in Namibia & Botswana

Arrive into Windhoek Hosea Kutako airport where you transfer to spend the first night at Hotel Heinitzburg – a restored castle with a unique architecture, set on top of a hill in Windhoek. It features a pool in a manicured garden, a wine cellar and two restaurants – including the famous Leos at the Castle. The rooms are gracefully decorated with classic finishes.

Pick up your vehicle in Windhoek and head south to the Sossusvlei area of the Namib Naukluft Park. Spend two nights at Dead Valley Lodge, situated inside the Namib – Naukluft Park, in-between Sesriem and Elim Dune. Staying close to Sesriem means you will be able to get to the Sossusvlei dunes early when photography is at its best at the famous Deadvlei Pan, Sossusvlei, and Dune 45.

Travel north to the edge of the Naukluft Mountains. Your next night is spent at Namibs Valley Lodge offering stunning views of the Namib Naukluft scenery. Accommodation is in a luxury bungalow.

Make your way north to Ondudu Safari Lodge – set amidst the rugged granite kopjes in Namibia’s Erongo Mountain region. The lodge is a founder member of the 2,000 square kilometer Erongo Mountain Nature Conservancy, which brings together 30 private landowners in an effort to conserve this diverse area, known for excellent bird watching and hiking. There are also rare and endemic species of fauna and flora here, along with Bushman rock paintings. Accommodation features tented chalets, built on stilts among the towering granite boulders.

Make your way east into Damaraland, spending the next two nights at Mowani Mountain Camp which boasts spectacular views over the surrounding landscape. Attractions in the area include the famous Twyfelfontein rock paintings, the Petrified Forest, Burnt Mountain and the Organ Pipes (angular dolorite columns up to 5m high), as well as the Brandberg Massif, another ancient rock art site. Twyfelfontein is famed for the thousands of rock paintings and engravings found there.

The next two nights are spent at Safarihoek Lodge in the Etosha Heights Reserve bordering Etosha National Park. The 60 000 hectare concession is home to a wide variety of animals including Hartmann’s Zebra which does not occur in the eastern side of Etosha. Accommodation is inclusive of all meals and guided activities in the reserve. You will also have the opportunity to spend time in the photographic hide adjacent to the lodge which overlooks a natural waterhole.

A visit to the Etosha National Park is one of the highlights of travelling Namibia.  Etosha covers an area of more than 22 000 sq kms – its centre being a vast saltpan surrounded by grass and thorn savannah, Mopane bushveld in the west and dry forest in the north-east. The pan is just about always dry. However, in the southern parts there are have water-holes scattered throughout this area and form the basis of life for countless game. Etosha boasts good numbers wildlife – springbok are especially numerous. Spend the night at Okaukuejo in a bush chalet.

Drive through Etosha to Onguma Bush Camp in a private wildlife concession to the east of Etosha. In the local Herero language, Onguma means, “the place you don’t want to leave.” The lounge and dining areas overlook a stunning waterhole that affords great opportunities for wildlife viewing without even leaving the camp. Accommodation is on a dinner, bed & breakfast basis with guided activities payable separately. From Onguma Bush Camp you can also self-drive around the Namutoni and Fisher’s Pan areas of Etosha National Park, with the eastern entrance gate into Etosha only 8km away.

Drive north to the western Caprivi, spending the next two nights at Shametu River Lodge overlooking the Popa Falls. The chalets are built on the banks of the Okavango River offering a view of the Popa Falls. Accommodation is on a dinner, bed & breakfast basis.

Your next destination is Kazile Island Lodge in Namibia’s Zambezi Region, situated on an island on the banks of the Kwando River within Bwabwata National Park. The tents overlook the Kwando River as well as the expansive floodplains between the Island and the famous Horseshoe Bend. Guided activities – typically a boat cruise in the late afternoon and an early morning game drive – can be booked on arrival.

Continue east to spend the next night at Chobe River Camp, by the Chobe river just across from the Chobe National Park on the Namibian side.

Drive to Kasane where you return the vehicle. Spend the night at Kubu Lodge by the Chobe River. The following day you will do a morning game drive into Chobe National Park. The Chobe River Floodplain is an amazing game viewing area with wildlife best sighted in the early morning or late afternoon. Elephant, buffalo, impala, kudu, and lion are all frequently seen as are smaller animals such as monkeys and baboons. In the afternoon you will do a sunset river cruise along the Chobe River. This is a highlight of many a visitor’s trip to Botswana, and amazing sights such as elephant crossing the river to feed on the grassy islands are never forgotten. Birdlife is spectacular too along the river.

Transfer across the border to Victoria Falls, where you spend the final night. Accommodation is at Pioneers Victoria Falls in a quiet residential area. The Zimbabwean side has approximately 2/3 of the fall’s frontage and the falls are easily viewed on foot. Victoria Falls has a lot to offer the visitor and is known as Africa’s adventure capital. From high adrenalin activities like bungi jumping and white water rafting to more sedate pastimes like viewing the falls by helicopter, Victoria Falls has it all.